Mike Tee

Does your new boat have a day tank? If so, you could bypass the main tank and refill from a couple of 5 gallon cans of known clean fuel. Then after getting to your chosen home mooring, could sort out the main tank at leisure. (I guess, even if no day tank, you could still bypass the main tank but might be a little more complicated)

I think you'll find the £12 is for the adapter. Kit starts at £86.

When adding up the cost of all the work needed for negotiating, don't forget if the seller fixes it all, you will need another out of water survey to confirm all work - that's going to be another grand!

Yes, debdale do - also Aylesbury Boat Club at Circus Field in Aylesbury.

I've found that (not at a blind bridge) approaching at normal cruising speed, then when the nose is through the bridge drop into neutral and the stern lifts a considerable amount as it goes through with the following wave.

Ask the current owner for a look at the last safety certificate

That boat sat in the River Stort for at least 2 1/2 years up at Roydon Mill.

Put a container under it to catch the drips (ice cream container or similar), it will keep it tidier and reduce rust build up.

Firstly turn off the water supply at the tank - this will tell you if you have a leak in the supply runs. If it still leaks check around the base of the tank. Then basically it's checking every joint in the supply runs. Worst case, if you find nothing, you will have to start spending, get it out of the water and get someone with boat knowledge to look around under the waterline with you. Also, what work has been carried out on the boat since you got it, was it lifted out for survey? (Sprung plate etc). It's a long process. You say vast amounts - how much over night?

Is it 'Shakespeare', currently for sale?

^^^ same as mine - my lead from the bank mains is a caravan type with RCD inline. I use it to keep the batteries topped up through the winter using a Ctek 10a smart charger. It comes in through the pigeon box in the engine room and I do check it for chafing. Also have an inline galvanic isolater.

I don't think one litre an hour average cruising is excessive so maybe mine was set up efficiently from new. Just the cost of boating.

It's a heavy (15mm bottom) 70' boat - and goes as fast as I need, also stops in it's own length from normal cruising speed, so if it is 20% down on power, it doesn't matter!

Another vote for hydraulic drive - I have no engineering knowledge or skill, but ours works fine, and obviously the only thing connecting the engine (BD3) to the gubbins that drives the prop is two thick hoses. So it doesn't matter how high or which direction the engine points. Although I don't know how much one would cost, am guessing not cheap!